Ottawa’s Public Service-driven economy is expected to weather the COVID-19 pandemic better than other major Canadian cities.
A new report from the Conference Board of Canada (CBA) also says Ottawa’s concentration of high-tech industry will be a telling factor.
It is expected the national capital’s large Public Service sector will retain more jobs during the pandemic, compared to cities such as Edmonton and Calgary, whose economies depend more on the energy sector.
Chief Economist with the CBA, Pedro Antunes (pictured) said Ottawa’s pace of growth in 2020 was still expected to decline, but “it’s about half the decline that we’re seeing at the national level”.
“So this city will do a little bit better than many other places,” Mr Antunes said.
Of the 13 cities listed in the report, Ottawa is ranked as faring the best during the pandemic, and is expected to maintain that position through 2024.
Saskatoon, Calgary and Edmonton are at the bottom of the list.
Ottawa’s high-tech industry is also expected to keep things relatively stable, and could even see some growth, according to the report.
“We are seeing bigger and broader adoption of technology to help us deal with the COVID-19 crisis,” Mr Antunes said.
“I do think that’s another obviously great reason why we’re not seeing as big of an impact here in Ottawa,” he said.
However, that did not mean the city was immune to the economic impact of the pandemic, the economist said.
“When we think about all of the festivals that happen in this city over the summer — we can think about Canada Day celebrations, the Tulip Festival — these have big implications on tourism,” he said.
“Ottawa’s food and restaurant industry has also been hit hard, but isn’t as sizeable in terms of the overall structure of the city.”
President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, Debi Daviau said the fact that Ottawa was expected to weather the crisis better was no surprise.
“Look at the incredible and important work that Public Servants are able to deliver on during this critical period, and how a strong Public Service really has created a strong foundation for the entire country during this pandemic,” Ms Daviau said.
Ottawa, 15 May 2020
